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REO Mojo Going on Yesterday in Bridgeport
“We flew into town on Sunday, had to find a place by Monday, tried Bridgeport then Westport, ‘till we found a place we thought would do, 157 Riverside Avenue.”
Hi friends, so yesterday was a vibey day in Connecticut. We co-headlined the opening night at the beautiful new Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport Connecticut with our friends Styx…both bands turned in inspired performances, the place was sold out, and the crowd was rockin’. But the day marked the completion of a fifty-year circle for REO Speedwagon, plus a couple of other coincidences…or were they?
Old school REO fans will remember that the first self-titled album, REO Speedwagon was recorded at Connecticut Recording Studio, in downtown Bridgeport back in 1970. The song “157 Riverside Avenue” was written about the house where the band stayed during those sessions. Last night before the show, the mayor of Bridgeport presented us with the Key to the City, and we gave it to our founding member Neal Doughty. It was fitting that Neal keep that Key to the City of Bridgeport, as he recorded the first album of his storied career in this city, and as of midnight, it was his birthday!
At a charity event in western Connecticut earlier this year, I was approached by a forty-something guy, who introduced himself as a long-time REO fan. He owns a successful Ferrari dealership, and noticed that the house at 157 Riverside Ave was for sale. Apparently the place had seen better days, but he bought the property anyway, had the original building razed, and built a beautiful new home on the site. So now there is a loyal member of the REO Fan Family living at 157 Riverside Avenue…as it should be!
On the bus ride over to the venue, Neal told us the original address of that infamous house in Connecticut was actually 157 Riverside Drive. That didn’t fit the phrasing original REO singer Terry Luttrell had in mind, so he used his poetic license and changed the address to 157 Riverside Avenue. Years later, when REO hit it big, the city would change the street name to Riverside Avenue, reportedly in honor of our song!
I slept in on the bus yesterday morning, and after coffee with Dave and Bryan, headed into the hotel. I got to my room and began my usual ritual, finding the luggage stands and opening up my suitcases, setting my toiletries on the bathroom counter, and plugging in my various device chargers. As I was looking for convenient electrical outlets I noticed the alarm clock on the bed-stand. I swear that was the actual time. A lot of REO mojo going on yesterday in Bridgeport…kc
